Nassau Bay hopes to hire new city manager by end of May

NASSAU BAYCity hopes to hire new city manager by end of May

Following last week’s announcement that Nassau Bay city manager John Kennedy will be retiring at the end of May, city officials are optimistic a successor can be hired by then.

Kennedy, 60, has been city manager for 10 years.

“He’s going to be a very tough guy to replace,” City Councilwoman Bette Johnson said.

Johnson praised Kennedy, a retired Army colonel, for his strong leadership and desire to serve residents.

“He’s just a man of integrity,” she said. “God is his first priority and family is second and his job is third. He lives by that.”

Kennedy said he first approached Mayor Don Matter about retiring three years ago, but was convinced to remain until construction of a $150 million mixed-use development started in the city. That project, which will feature multifamily housing units, a hotel, shops and office space, began last year.

“It’s going to be a reality,” Kennedy said. “I don’t have any doubt in that. It’s going to be a great thing for the tax base of the city of Nassau Bay. It’ll be a real boon to the city and to the citizens who live here.”

“I love Nassau Bay ... We have great employees, we have great citizens and we have a City Council that is united in their desire to serve the needs of our citizens as the first priority,” Kennedy said.

Search plans

Johnson said she, Mayor Don Matter and City Councilman Mark Denman will initially lead the search for Kennedy’s successor.

City Council would like to have that person hired and on the job by the time Kennedy leaves at the end of May, she said.

Kennedy is gathering resumes of Army personnel who are interested in the job, Johnson said.

City Council also will advertise the position and seek input from a few residents who have experience in human resources about hiring a new city manager, she said.

Johnson expects the city to receive many resumes for the job. But if City Council is unsatisfied with the pool of candidates, it could hire a consulting firm to assist with the process, she said.

City Councilman Ron Swofford said City Council also intends to promote finance director Deborah Pattison to a new position of assistant city manager once it can hire someone to fill her job.

“That’s not just to help us through this transition, but it’s also for the size of the load we’ve got with the development going on,” Swofford said.

Swofford said he believes that the timeline of hiring Kennedy’s replacement by the end of May is feasible.

“We need somebody that works with the council and the staff,” Swofford said. “They need to be organized and able to handle the administration.”